


the model with the soft, sweet smile

by teen_content_queen



Category: SKAM (Spain)
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, Model!Alejandro, Singer!Nora, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:20:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22506961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teen_content_queen/pseuds/teen_content_queen
Summary: The Model!Alejandro AU no-one asked for inspired by Nicole's Instagram story of Fernando modeling.
Relationships: Alejandro Beltrán de Miguel/Nora Grace
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	the model with the soft, sweet smile

**Author's Note:**

> I joked about writing this on Tumblr earlier, but here we are. Find me there @teen-content-queen for more Skam content. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Nora did not want to be here. She shifted uncomfortably in her heels, too high for her liking and pulled at the skintight emerald cocktail dress she was wearing, one of Eva’s she’d borrowed for the evening.

She looked around, watching the people pass by. They all seemed to know where they were supposed to go, mixing and mingling like bees in and out of a hive, a DJ in the corner playing ambient hip hop that gave everyone a beat to follow along to.

She looked for Eva, who’d disappeared shortly after they’d arrived. Eva’s job was simply to cover the fashion show they’d just attended. Nora couldn’t understand why she’d insisted they attend the after-party as well.

A waiter walked by with a tray full of champagne flutes, golden and bubbling. Nora watched as a tall man, who she recognized as one of the models from the show, gracefully picked up two flutes and seemed to glide to a stop next to her.

She looked up at him, still incomprehensibly tall compared to her despite the extra five inches the heels gave her. He smiled down at her, a soft and sweet smile, eyes bright under a curtain of dark curly hair. He offered her the second drink before Nora shook her head. He shrugged and quickly finished the first flute, setting it on the table behind them. Then he turned back to her.

“You don’t seem like you’re having fun.” He said plainly.

“I should learn to hide it better I guess.” Nora said, smiling in spite of herself.

He looked around the party, and Nora wondered if he was looking for an excuse to leave.

“If you have people you need to see, I understand…” Nora began.

“No, honestly, I’m just glad to not be wandering around alone anymore.” He said, his sincerity a little startling.

“All of your friends already go home?” She asked.

“I don’t really have anyone here. It was my first show, and I haven’t been modeling long, so I don’t know many people yet.” 

“Did any of your friends or family come?”

Nora saw something flash over his eyes when she asked and immediately regretted the question. He opened his mouth as if to answer and then just shook his head, looking around again like he might flee. Nora’s throat tightened a bit. She didn’t want him to go. Quickly, she asked,

“What was it like? The runway I mean.”

He hesitated, a smile returning to his lips.

“Everything you’d imagine. A lot of stress right before you go out. People screaming, grabbing at you, picking at your clothes. The smallest detail cannot be missed. And then you walk out, and you hear the music and it all sort of just vanishes. I was just trying to stay focused on not tripping and before I really knew what was happening, I was walking offstage again.”

His whole face had shifted while he spoke, eyes sparkling and cheeks pink with joy. He wasn’t looking at her or really at anyone, mind pulling him back onto that stage for another walkabout.

“Nora! There you are!” A voice called out, pulling Nora’s focus from this gorgeous man. The party came rushing back to her, the voices and music suddenly so loud and the lights so bright. The man too was looking a little dazed, his eyes looking at the source of Nora’s name. It was Eva, wide eyed and lovely as ever.

“Yes Eva, I’m here. Right where you left me.”

“I see you made a friend.”

She smiled at the man besides Nora in a way that Nora knew meant _we’re going to talk about this later_. Nora looked from Eva to the brunette and then back again. She realized now that she’d never gotten his name.

“Oh, Eva this is…”

He stepped forward, extending a hand,

“Alejandro.”

He looked at Nora while he said it.

“Alejandro.” She parroted back.

“You did a great job tonight.” Eva said, smiling wide.

“Gracias.”

Now Eva turned to Nora.

“I still have a few more people I need to talk to. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“Gracias.” Nora said.

“Have fun.” Eva said, giving a not so subtle head nod in Alejandro’s direction. Nora tried not to roll her eyes as she disappeared into the crowd again. Nora looked at Alejandro, a little surprised to find him already looking at her. She gave a small nod in Eva’s direction.

“She’s a reporter for Vogue. She’s covering the show.”

Alejandro nodded. _Alejandro_ , Nora thought, letting the name settle into her mind and pushing down the temptation to sing Lady Gaga in the middle of an haute couture event.

“And what do you do?” He asked.

“I’m a singer. I’ve been performing around Madrid a lot while I work on my first EP.”

“I’d love to see you perform some time.”

Nora laughed and shook her head.

“That’s okay. You don’t need to say…”

“Excuse me, but I know talent when I see it.”

“You haven’t even heard me sing.”

“I can already tell.” Alejandro said.

“How?”

“Well you captured my attention just with your beauty. I’ll be a complete goner when you sing.”

Nora blushed, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks and the tips of her ears. She looked down at her feet, still screaming from the heels. She’d forgotten a little bit about her discomfort, thanks to Alejandro.  
“You’re very sweet.” She said, still looking at the ground.

She felt Alejandro’s fingers on her chin, lifting her face until her eyes met his, dropping his hand to his side again. He smiled at her again and she couldn’t help but smile back.

“Nora!”

They both looked over as Eva reappeared.

“Sorry to interrupt, but Jorge just called, and he and Lucas locked themselves out, so I need to go. Do you want to come with me or…”

“I can go with you.” Nora said. She thought Alejandro was cute, of course, but that didn’t mean she ought to stay at the party alone with him. She looked at him now, glad to find him still smiling at her so softly.

“It was nice to meet you Alejandro. Good luck with your modeling career.”

“You too Nora. Good luck with singing. I can’t wait to hear your song on the radio someday.”

“Look her up. Nora Grace. Her next concert is posted on her Instagram!” Eva said, smiling wildly at them. Nora groaned, watching the wheels turn in her friend’s head. She grabbed Eva’s hand, pulling her away before she could start discussing wedding venues with the total stranger.

Nora waved as Eva drove away, taillights disappearing around the corner. She let out a breath and walked towards the front door of her small apartment complex, heels swinging in her hand now. She felt her phone ping in her bag and shuffled to pull it out. It was an Instagram notification.

_Jojzalejandro started following you._

* * *

Nora could hear Cris’ laugh even from backstage. It was comforting, as she prepared to go out, nice to know that there were friendly faces just beyond the edge of the stage. She had been with Eva and Amira before a handler had rushed her backstage for her soundcheck and had gotten notifications from Instagram telling her she’d been tagged in multiple posts. Each was one of her friends, posed outside the theater, the marquee above their head showing her name in big letters. It was better than she ever could have imagined.

“You ready?” a stage manager asked, handing her the mic. She looked back at Jorge and the rest of her band members. He gave her a salute and a thumbs up, making her laugh a nervous laugh. They were really doing this. She gave him a thumbs up back.

She walked onstage; the burst of applause louder than she’d expected for a Wednesday night in February. There were quite a few people here tonight, all fans that Nora had acquired through the last few years of doing tours with bigger artists and performing at anything and everything that might give her some exposure. She smiled out at the face, recognizing quite a few people who’d come to see her at other shows. 

And in the front, her friends, all cheering and waving wildly. Cris and Eva were going bananas while Joana and Amira looked up at her like proud moms. She blew them kisses of appreciation and took her spot at the middle of the stage, the spotlight a warm and inviting glow.

“Hi everybody.” She said, voice amplified and cutting through the venue.

There were more cheers and some appreciative noises from the band behind her. Nora smiled.

“I’m Nora Grace.”

More cheering. More smiling.

“We’re really excited to be with you here tonight. As many of you know, Madrid is our hometown, and it’s always so nice to play for you because it feels like playing for family.”

“We love you Nora.” A voice cried. Unmistakably Cris’, Nora was sure.

“I love you too.” Nora assured. And she really did.

With the lights on her, it was hard to make out most of the audience. She squinted a little, wanting to see just how big the crowd was and could make out a few more faces. Including one very attractive, tall brunette. Nora’s heart did a somersault and she froze momentarily. He smiled at her, as soft and sweet as he had the night they first met, just a week before.

Beyond liking some of her posts, Nora hadn’t heard from Alejandro at all since the fashion show and she assumed he had forgotten all about her. Now here he was, watching her about to perform the biggest performance of her career. She took a breath, steadying herself.

She turned to Jorge and gave him a nod, as the first song started.

“Thank you for coming.” She said into the mic, looking right at Alejandro.

* * *

Nora thought about that night, now a year ago, with a smile. People buzzed around her, eyes lingering on her as they passed, recognizing her as the girl with that one song that was always playing on the radio.

She pulled at the red cocktail dress she wore, heels digging into the balls of her feet. Apparently costing more didn’t mean her shoes would hurt any less.

She looked around, searching the room. A waiter passed with champagne flutes and disappeared again into the amorphous crowd again. It all felt so similar from before, and yet so much had changed.

“You don’t seem like you’re having fun.” A voice whispered, breath tickling the baby ears around her shoulder.

She giggled and turned to find Alejandro standing beside her, changed from his runway look into a sleek all black suit, a rose hand painted on the lapel by Joana. He leaned in, kissing her.

“Careful of my lipstick.”

“Careful of mine.” Alejandro laughed back.

It was true. He’d had to wear quite a bit of makeup for the show tonight and hadn’t quite scrubbed it all off yet. She leaned in, kissing him again anyway. When she pulled away, he smiled at her, the soft and sweet smile she’d learned by now was reserved only for her, then kissed her on the head, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Great job tonight baby. I loved the purple jacket you wore at the end of the show. With the glitter stripes.” She said, turning to face him.

“Right? The detailing on it was amazing.”

“And the pants. Perfection. Although they somehow made you look even taller which I didn’t know was possible.”

“My love, everything seems tall to you.”

She pouted as Alejandro laughed at his millionth short joke.

“I could step on you in these heels and then who’d be laughing.”

Now it was Alejandro’s turn to pout.

“I’m sorry baby.”

She wrinkled her nose at him before giving up and kissing him again.

“Want to get out of here?” Alejandro said, looking down at her, eyelashes dusting his cheeks.

“I think everyone’s over at Hugo and Viri’s tonight.”

“I already told Amira we’d grab ice on the way.” He said with a smirk. He knew her so well.

She smiled at him.

“What?” He asked.

“I’m just happy that’s all.”

“Because you’re going to be able to take your shoes off?”

“Yes, but also because of you.”

He smiled at her, kissing her again.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Lead the way.”

She gave him her hand, and let him pull her out of the party and into the crisp night, towards their friends and towards home.


End file.
